Starbucks Iced Mocha at Home (in five minutes using an Aeropress)

I love a good iced mocha from Starbucks (I guess that means I am not a true coffee aficionado, but I do enjoy the taste of a fresh cup of black coffee). I see iced mochas as essentially a gourmet chocolate milk. I recently quit smoking and started drinking iced mochas on a daily basis - I quickly realized that, at $4-5 per cup, I was spending just as much on coffee that I had been on cigarettes. After some trial and error, I finally figured it out. Here's how I make iced mochas at home:

Directions:1. Put 1 heaping tablespoon of Mocha Mix into bottom of sturdy 16oz cup (I use a Starbucks clear plastic thermal cup)2. Grind two rounded Aeropress scoops of Espresso roast beans (I used a twenty dollar Hampton Bay grinder)3. Put filter in Aeropress, dump in grounds (using included funnel)4. Add bottled water to Aeropress plunger up to between 2 and 3 mark5. Microwave water until temp is around 180 F (takes about 50 sec in my microwave)6. Put Aeropress on top of cup, pour in hot water, stir for about 3 secs with included stir7. Press plunger all the way down (takes decent pressure and about 10 seconds)8. Put Aeropress aside, stir mocha / coffee well (don't use the Aeropress stir unless you wipe off grounds first)9. Add about half to two thirds of a cup of milk, stir again (I prefer skim milk)10. Add ice (I prefer bagged ice)11. Optionally, you can add whip cream (I prefer mine without whip)

That's it. Enjoy!

TIPS: Starbucks mocha powder is key; you can find it online, as well as in many stores. My total investment was $30 for an Aeropress, and $20 for a Hampton Bay Grinder; coffee is about $10 per pound, mocha powder is about $10 per tin. So $50 upfront, and about $10-20 per month. Also, since I buy my supplies from Starbucks, I became a rewards member to get free stuff.

I made some YUM iced coffee today -- using the NYT cold brew method. Mixed up water and ground coffee (NYT says to use a jar--I did it in a plastic pitcher). Left it on counter overnight. Strained it and added equal amount of milk. Over ice, with a splash of macadamia nut syrup for sweetening and flavor. WOW!